Thermal/electrical properties and texture of carbon black pc polymer composites near the electrical percolation threshold

Polycarbonate (PC), a thermoplastic polymer with excellent properties, is used in many advanced technological applications. When PC is blended with other polymers or additives, new properties, such as electrical properties, can be available. In this study, carbon black (CB) was melt-compounded with PC to produce polymer compounds with compositions (10–16 wt.% of CB), which are close to or above the electrical percolation threshold (13.5–14 wt.% of CB). Effects due to nanofiller dispersion/aggregation in the polymer matrix, together with phase composition, glass transition temperature, morphology and textural properties, were studied by using thermal analysis methods (thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry) and scanning electron microscopy. The DC electrical properties of these materials were also investigated by means of electrical conductivity measurements and correlated with the “structure” of the CB, to better explain the behaviour of the composites close to the percolation threshold

Long-Term Evaluation of Capsulotomy Shape and Posterior Capsule Opacification after Low-Energy Bimanual Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery

Purpose. To evaluate capsulotomy shape and posterior capsule opacification (PCO) during an 18-month follow-up for bimanual femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS). Methods. 74 eyes operated by a well-trained surgeon with bimanual FLACS technique using low-energy LDV Z8 (Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, Port, Switzerland) were included in the study. The follow-up period was 18 \ub1 2 months. Another 91 eyes, which underwent standard bimanual microincision cataract surgery (B-MICS), served as a control group. In all cases, a BunnyLens AF (Hanita Lenses, Israel) intraocular lens was implanted in the bag. A digital image of the capsule with slit-lamp retroillumination was performed in all patients at 18 months of follow-up. Image analysis software (ImageJ) was used to evaluate the shape of the capsulotomy in terms of diameter, area, and circularity. PCO score was evaluated using EPCO 2000 software. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and endothelial cell count (ECC) were evaluated before and after surgery at 1 and 18 \ub1 2 months. Results. At 18 months, mean capsulotomy diameter was 5.34 \ub1 0.21 mm while capsulorhexis was 5.87 \ub1 0.37 mm (p<0.001) and the deviation area from baseline was 1.13 \ub1 1.76 mm2 in FLACS and 2.67 \ub1 1.69 mm2 in B-MICS (p<0.001). Capsulotomy circularity was 0.94 \ub1 0.04 while capsulorhexis was 0.83 \ub1 0.07 (p<0.001). EPCO score was 0.050 \ub1 0.081 in the FLACS group and 0.122 \ub1 0.239 in the B-MICS group (p=0.03). The mean BCVA improvement was significant in both groups, without a significant difference at 18 months. We noticed a statistically significant difference in endothelial cell loss at 18 months (FLACS 12.4% and B-MICS 18.1%; p=0.017). Conclusions. Bimanual FLACS is a safe and effective technique, as determined in a long-term follow-up. Capsulotomy shape presented higher stability and circularity in the FLACS group over the 18-month observation period. FLACS resulted in lower PCO scores and endothelial cell loss at 18 months in comparison to B-MICS standard technique

Epithelial and stromal remodelling following femtosecond laser–assisted stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty (SLAK) for keratoconus

The purpose of this study was to evaluate corneal epithelium and stromal remodelling with anterior segment optical coherence tomography in patients who have undergone stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty (SLAK) for advanced keratoconus. This was a prospective non-comparative observational study. Fifteen eyes of 15 patients with advanced keratoconus underwent implantation with a cadaveric, donor negative meniscus-shaped intrastromal lenticule, produced with a femtosecond laser, into a stromal pocket dissected in the recipient cornea at a depth of 120 μm. Simulated keratometry, central corneal thickness (CTT), corneal thinnest point (CTP), central epithelial thickness (CET), central and peripheral lenticule thickness, anterior and posterior stromal thickness were measured. Regional central corneal epithelial thickness (CET) and variations in the inner annular area (IAT) and outer annular area (OAT) were also analysed. All parameters were measured preoperatively and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. The average anterior Sim-k decreased from 59.63 ± 7.58 preoperatively to 57.19 ± 6.33 D 6 months postoperatively. CCT, CTP, CET, and OAT increased and IAT decreased significantly after 1 month. All parameters appeared unchanged at 6-months except that of OAT that further increased. Lenticule thickness was stable. In conclusion we observed that SLAK reshapes the cornea by central flattening with stromal thickening and epithelial thickness restoration

Complete removal of the lesion as a guidance in the management of patients with breast ductal carcinoma in Situ

Background: Considering highly selected patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), active surveillance is a valid alternative to surgery. Our study aimed to show the reliability of post-biopsy complete lesion removal, documented by mammogram, as additional criterion to select these patients. Methods: A total of 2173 vacuum‐assisted breast biopsies (VABBs) documented as DCIS were reviewed. Surgery was performed in all cases. We retrospectively collected the reports of post‐ VABB complete lesion removal and the histological results of the biopsy and surgery. We calculated the rate of upgrade of DCIS identified on VABB upon excision for patients with post‐biopsy complete lesion removal and for those showing residual lesion. Results: We observed 2173 cases of DCIS: 408 classified as low‐grade, 1262 as intermediate‐grade, and 503 as high‐grade. The overall upgrading rate to invasive carcinoma was 15.2% (330/2173). The upgrade rate was 8.2% in patients showing mammographically documented complete removal of the lesion and 19% in patients without complete removal. Conclusion: The absence of mammographically documented residual lesion following VABB was found to be associated with a lower upgrading rate of DCIS to invasive carcinoma on surgical excision and should be considered when deciding the proper management DCIS diagnosis

Massive transcriptome sequencing of human spinal cord tissues provides new insights into motor neuron degeneration in als

ALS is a devastating and debilitating human disease characterized by the progressive death of upper and lower motor neurons. Although much effort has been made to elucidate molecular determinants underlying the onset and progression of the disorder, the causes of ALS remain largely unknown. In the present work, we have deeply sequenced whole transcriptome from spinal cord ventral horns of post-mortem ALS human donors affected by the sporadic form of the disease (which comprises ∼90% of the cases but which is less investigated than the inherited form of the disease). We observe 1160 deregulated genes including 18 miRNAs and show that down regulated genes are mainly of neuronal derivation while up regulated genes have glial origin and tend to be involved in neuroinflammation or cell death. Remarkably, we find strong deregulation of SNAP25 and STX1B at both mRNA and protein levels suggesting impaired synaptic function through SNAP25 reduction as a possible cause of calcium elevation and glutamate excitotoxicity. We also note aberrant alternative splicing but not disrupted RNA editing

Adverse prognostic value of peritumoral vascular invasion: is it abrogated by adequate endocrine adjuvant therapy? Results from two International Breast Cancer Study Group randomized trials of chemoendocrine adjuvant therapy for early breast cancer

Background: Peritumoral vascular invasion (PVI) may assist in assigning optimal adjuvant systemic therapy for women with early breast cancer. Patients and methods: Patients participated in two International Breast Cancer Study Group randomized trials testing chemoendocrine adjuvant therapies in premenopausal (trial VIII) or postmenopausal (trial IX) node-negative breast cancer. PVI was assessed by institutional pathologists and/or central review on hematoxylin-eosin-stained slides in 99% of patients (analysis cohort 2754 patients, median follow-up >9 years). Results: PVI, present in 23% of the tumors, was associated with higher grade tumors and larger tumor size (trial IX only). Presence of PVI increased locoregional and distant recurrence and was significantly associated with poorer disease-free survival. The adverse prognostic impact of PVI in trial VIII was limited to premenopausal patients with endocrine-responsive tumors randomized to therapies not containing goserelin, and conversely the beneficial effect of goserelin was limited to patients whose tumors showed PVI. In trial IX, all patients received tamoxifen: the adverse prognostic impact of PVI was limited to patients with receptor-negative tumors regardless of chemotherapy. Conclusion: Adequate endocrine adjuvant therapy appears to abrogate the adverse impact of PVI in node-negative disease, while PVI may identify patients who will benefit particularly from adjuvant therap

Adverse prognostic value of peritumoral vascular invasion: is it abrogated by adequate endocrine adjuvant therapy? Results from two International Breast Cancer Study Group randomized trials of chemoendocrine adjuvant therapy for early breast cancer

Background: Peritumoral vascular invasion (PVI) may assist in assigning optimal adjuvant systemic therapy for women with early breast cancer. Patients and methods: Patients participated in two International Breast Cancer Study Group randomized trials testing chemoendocrine adjuvant therapies in premenopausal (trial VIII) or postmenopausal (trial IX) node-negative breast cancer. PVI was assessed by institutional pathologists and/or central review on hematoxylin-eosin-stained slides in 99% of patients (analysis cohort 2754 patients, median follow-up >9 years). Results: PVI, present in 23% of the tumors, was associated with higher grade tumors and larger tumor size (trial IX only). Presence of PVI increased locoregional and distant recurrence and was significantly associated with poorer disease-free survival. The adverse prognostic impact of PVI in trial VIII was limited to premenopausal patients with endocrine-responsive tumors randomized to therapies not containing goserelin, and conversely the beneficial effect of goserelin was limited to patients whose tumors showed PVI. In trial IX, all patients received tamoxifen: the adverse prognostic impact of PVI was limited to patients with receptor-negative tumors regardless of chemotherapy. Conclusion: Adequate endocrine adjuvant therapy appears to abrogate the adverse impact of PVI in node-negative disease, while PVI may identify patients who will benefit particularly from adjuvant therap

Comment on "How green is blue hydrogen?"

This paper is written in response to the paper “How green is blue hydrogen?” by R. W. Howarth and M. Z. Jacobson. It aims at highlighting and discussing the method and assumptions of that paper, and thereby providing a more balanced perspective on blue hydrogen, which is in line with current best available practices and future plant specifications aiming at low CO2 emissions. More specifically, in this paper, we show that: (i) the simplified method that Howarth and Jacobson used to compute the energy balance of blue hydrogen plants leads to significant overestimation of CO2 emissions and natural gas (NG) consumption and (ii) the assumed methane leakage rate is at the high end of the estimated emissions from current NG production in the United States and cannot be considered representative of all-NG and blue hydrogen value chains globally. By starting from the detailed and rigorously calculated mass and energy balances of two blue hydrogen plants in the literature, we show the impact that methane leakage rate has on the equivalent CO2 emissions of blue hydrogen. On the basis of our analysis, we show that it is possible for blue hydrogen to have significantly lower equivalent CO2 emissions than the direct use of NG, provided that hydrogen production processes and CO2 capture technologies are implemented that ensure a high CO2 capture rate, preferably above 90%, and a low-emission NG supply chain